An Unwritten Bond
by lollyg17
Summary: After the death of her brother Rika Odindottir must survive life without her best friend. But when traces of Loki's magic are found on Earth she and Thor must visit the realm of the mortals to retrieve the Tesseract and rescue their brother. But will she fall in love with a narcissistic mortal along the way, or could she cave into the comfort of her brother and join the dark side?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright guys, this is my first multi-chapter fanfiction so let me know what you think. I absolutely love getting reviews and all comments are appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I'm just going to do this once. I do not own these characters, only Rika. Marvel owns the rest.**

Chapter 1

_The girl watched the battle in desperation, silently wishing to help but knowing they would appreciate no interference. It was their battle, no one else's. As her brothers fought – one for justice and one for their father's affection – a mighty hammer came crashing down and broke the very bridge in which they were standing, cutting off travel from the other realms. It all seemed to happen in slow motion as the rainbow bridge cracked._

_ The youngest brother of the two seemed to fall first, his hands reeling in the air to find something to grab, before grabbing on to the hand of the eldest brother. Then he slipped. The air seemed to grow cold as the girl ran up, screaming her brothers' names and trembling in fright. Her head was pounding in the confusion of the day: Her brother was a Jottun and had brought the Frost Giants to Asgard; her oldest brother was back from exile; both were battling one-another._

_ In one swift movement she was at the side of her brothers, trying her best not to let them fall._

_ "Let me help, my dear," her father's hands reached to her oldest brother's, whose other hand was grabbing hold of the younger._

_ "Father, we can finish them together!" The younger of the two brothers yelled as he struggled to hold his grip and keep himself from falling._

_ "No, Loki."_

_ The girl watched the excitement leave her brother's eyes and the ever-present look of disappointment and self-loathing return. His shocking green eyes met her warm brown ones and he gave her a silent apology before he made her heart stop. He let go._

_ All of the wine in Asgard could not ease the pain as she watched her brother, her best friend, fall into the unknown abyss. The memories of her childhood with him arose and she choked out a sob, her oldest brother holding her back from the edge as she grieved for the loss of the dark-haired prince. She wept, for once not afraid to show fear in front of her fellow Asgardian warriors, and fell into the embrace of her brother._

Rika awoke with a start, her heart beating rapidly and her forehead moistened with beads of sweat. She touched her cheek and found dried tear tracks from the emotion of the memory, the subject still uncomfortable for her. The loss of her brother was hard on her parents and the rest of the kingdom – especially her oldest brother, Thor, who blamed himself for Loki's death – but it came as the hardest blow of all to Rika.

Growing up Loki had always been the odd one, preferring to partake in magic than that of acts of Asgardian warriors. As a child Rika had always admired her brothers, but grew very close with Loki. Though skilled as a warrior, Rika would often hunt her brother down in the castle library after her training and spend hours with him learning to cast spells. Thor, the oldest of Odin's three children, was always willing to protect his young sister from harm's way, but Loki was the one she could trust her soul to. Known as the God of Mischief and Lies, Rika was the only one who could truly earn hear words of truth and trust from the mouth of the silver tongue.

Yawning, Rika shed her red and gold robes in favor of an emerald green dress as she waited for a maiden to come in to fix her hair and help her with her morning routine. Sitting on her bed fit for a king, she twisted a strand of hair between her fingers. Finally, she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" She called. A woman with honey-colored hair silently entered the room, smiling for the princess as she bid her a good morning and got to work with her hair.

"Your brother wished me to tell you that when I am finished he would like you to meet him and the king in the dining hall." Her voice was tired, as if she had gotten as little sleep as Rika had since her brother's death.

Rika tried to keep the surprise and confusion from her voice as she replied, "What for, may I ask?"

The maiden shook her head. "I know not why they ask of your attendance, but only that it is urgent." Concern flooded Rika's senses as she waited for the woman to finish, her body twitching in anxiety. When the maiden was finally done Rika fled the room and headed to the dining hall, saying her hellos to the people that she passed that were members of her father's court. As she neared the great hall, whispers were heard between her father and brother.

"I have come as you beckoned," she announced, entering the room, "but for what may I ask?"

Her father and brother's heads turned to her and her mother gave her a look full of worry.

"It is Loki," Thor answered, making her hear her insides freeze.

"We have detected a magic source used to open a door into Midgard from the power of the Tesseract that resembles closely that of Loki's own tricks," Odin continued, "I believe it best that we remove the Tesseract form the realm of the mortals in order to secure any forms of peace that we may have."

"Loki's dead." Rika's throat was dry as she forced herself to speak the words she had denied since the incident.

Her mother looked at them sadly, "He is my son, and if there is any hope that he might still be alive then I wish to take it. It has torn me apart to lose him and I cannot bear the thought to grieve if he may still be out there."

Odin nodded to his wife. "Very well. Thor I wish to send you to Midard to take back what is rightfully ours for the sake of our people."

"And Loki?" Thor asked.

Odin sighed. "If Loki is to be found, bring him home."

"How will I get there if the Bifrost is still unusable? Heimdall informed me that it may still be under construction for several more months."

Odin gave his son a small smile. "I am King of Asgard, my son. If I am not able to perform feats such as sending my son to another realm then what king am I?"

Frigga stepped forward to embrace her son as their father readied himself. "Careful, my son."

"Wait!" Rika stepped forward quickly, "I wish to go with Thor."

"But sister-"

Rika cut him off, "Loki is by brother as well, and I wish to find him as much as any one of us," she sighed, "Please?"

"You are a grown woman and old enough to make your own choices," Odin spoke, making Rika smile. "But Thor, watch out for your sister."

"Yes Father," he chuckled, nudging her and making her loose balance, in which she let out a squeak and grabbed his cape for balance. She glared at him before turning back to her father.

"Good luck," their mother smiled, before light engulfed them and she disappeared from sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright guys, let me know what you think. Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated! I hope you like my interpretation of the characters, especially Tony, and I promise you that you'll get to see more of Rika in the next chapter.**

Chapter 2

Tony Stark could be described as many things: irritable, lazy, self-absorbed, diva. But he was _not _about to let some guy in a spangled leotard take all of the credit for catching the armor-clad idiot who was wreaking havoc in Germany.

"Put down the staff, Reindeer Games." Tony shouted as he descended into the crowd of people who were cowering from the on-going battle between Captain America and the unknown villain. The Captain looked up in irritation at his new comrade before a look of shock appeared on his face. Tony's smirk was unable to be seen by the other behind the mask of his metal suit, which held various missile launchers and guns that were pointed at the enemy.

"Mr. Stark." The Captain spoke curtly.

"Captain."

The two exchanged glares as the SHEILD aircraft landed in the middle of the square and opened its door, in which a stunning red-headed woman emerged. Her face was serious as she pulled a gun from her belt and pointed it at the dark-haired villain, whose armor disappeared as if by magic to be replaced by green and gold clothes.

He put his hands up in surrender. "You Midgardians hold very little respect to beings who are stronger than you." Tony snorted at the man, tempted to make a comment but was silenced by the red-headed woman who had answered first.

"You are under arrest, Loki." She pointed her gun at his head. He shrugged and stood up, seemingly unfazed with his failed attempt to take over Germany, before walking onto the aircraft with the SHEILD agent behind him.

"Let's go, Stark." Captain America followed behind the pair as Tony growled at the bossy capsicle. _You are not the boss of me, old man_ Tony thought to himself, unable to ignore his irritation with his father's friend.

Captain America was very much not like Tony. In fact, they were polar opposites. Where Tony was a bad role model, Steve Rogers was a goody-two-shoes, someone that parents all over America wanted their kids to look up to. And while Tony was a genius with technology, Rogers knew about as much as Tony's dead grandfather. In fact, he probably knew less. But that was not the thing that bugged Tony the most, nor the fact that Rogers always acted like he knew better than everyone else. No, it was Tony's father. Howard Stark loved Steve Rogers like a brother. And Tony, Howard's own son, was neglected. Yes. Captain America and Iron Man were very much opposites.

"Are you alright, Stark?" Rogers asked, once they were a little ways in the air.

By now Tony had taken his mask off so Steve could see his eye roll. "I'm fine. But you're pretty spry for an old man. How do you do it?"

"Do what-"

"Yoga? Calisthenics? You were all over that so-called god over there." Tony interrupted. Loki scoffed but said nothing.

Rogers shrugged but looked around uncomfortably. "I have a bad feeling about this. I didn't' think bad guys gave up so easily. What's his play?"

Tony scoffed and leaned against the side of the airplane, looking out the window. It was dark and looked like it could rain at any moment, making him somewhat sleepy. Up at the front of the plane Natasha seemed to be trying her best to keep the plane steady as thunder was heard from a distance and the plane jolted, causing Tony to grab onto the side. In front of the two heroes, Loki jumped.

Steve raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What, scared of a little lightening."

Loki pursed his lip in concentration before letting out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

"And that would be?"

A loud thud was heard on the roof of the plane, causing Cap and Tony to jump up. Loki looked at the two of them pointedly before the door flew open and a large blonde figure dropped into sight. He was wearing a red and gold version of armor much like Loki's previous attire and held a large hammer in his right hand. Before anyone could act, he had grabbed Loki and jumped out of the plane.

_Holy shit! _"Who was that?" Tony questioned, frantically.

"Another Asgardian?" Steve.

Natasha nodded. "Thor."

"Are they friendly?"

"Does it matter?" Tony asked. "If he lets Loki loose the Tesseract is lost!" He started moving towards the door, putting on his metal mask as Rogers held onto his shoulder.

"We need a plan of attack." He insisted. Tony rolled his eyes, sick of listening to the super soldier. He was tired of pretending to give a shit about the orders the captain gave and was ready for action. Now.

"I have a plan," he insisted, taking a step towards the open door. "Attack."

Before the others could protest, Tony flew off the plane and into the madness of the storm. He quietly cursed himself for losing sight of the two gods before noticing a moving figure on a cliff. No, not two moving figures. He flew closer. Three.

"Sir, there doesn't appear to be much power left in the suit." Jarvis, Tony's AI and sole operator of the Iron Man suit cut in.

"Don't care." He replied, ignoring the AI's protest as he dove for the large blonde, who was about to say something to Loki. Tony held out his metal clad arms and waited for the impact, hitting him in the chest and making the two of them fly through the air, crashing into a forest clearing.

Thor looked up in outrage as he raised his meaty hand which held his hammer, pointing the weapon at Tony. "Do you know what you have just done?"

Tony shrugged nonchalantly, "Um, Shakespeare in the park?" He snickered at his own joke and made a mock bow, "Dos they mother know you weareth her drapes?" Thor growled and sent his hammer flying, ceasing Tony's laughter as he felt the impact of the heavy object. He landed with a crunch - hoping the tree that broke his fall was the only thing that had snapped – and pulled himself back onto his feet with irritation.

Tony aimed his repulsor beams at the god, ready to fire, "Mr. Stark."

"Not now Jarvis, I'm kinda busy." He fired, knocking the God of Thunder onto his feet. Tony smiled in triumph.

"Energy, 25 percent."

Tony cursed under his breath, only to be caught off guard when a large bolt of lightning hit him square in the chest, jolting his body. "Energy 600 percent."

Tony whooped. "Well would you look at that."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I would like to personally thank everyone who has read my story so far and especially the one who have added it to their follows and/or favorites. I deeply appreciate everyone for their follows and I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. As always, reviews and suggestions are always accepted. Also, feel free to PM me if you have any ideas for a story that you would like me to write. Thanks!**

Chapter 3

Rika had not expected such a harsh landing as she crashed on top of a hard metal airplane, Thor landing directly to her right. She shook her head in order to clear her fuzzy vision and stood up, immediately falling back onto her hands and knees when the plane was jostled by a harsh current. It was then that she noticed the stormy sky; dark gray and cloudy but not quite black. It was quite windy, in fact extremely windy, and she had to hold on tight as to not fall off the aircraft and into the darkness of the unseen ground below.

She looked over to her brother as she heard a voice yell from inside the plane, but was unable to make out what it was saying. Thor motioned for her to stay quiet as he held Mjolnir in his hand and jumped down onto the open lift below, causing several of the people within to shout something. Rika edged closer to the side to get a better look at her brother as she saw him run in and grab someone, a person who Rika could not look at close enough with the bad lighting, and pull him back out onto the edge where he had just jumped down.

Then, without notice, Thor had grabbed her arm and was hurling the two of them and the unknown figure through the air, feeling the intense adrenaline flow though her at their fall. As the ground rushed up below them Rika could do no more than bury her head into her brother's chest, not used to falling at great heights as her brother so apparently was.

It was once the three of them had fallen onto a nearby cliff ledge that Rika had finally let go and wriggled out of her brother's tough grip. He gave her an apologetic look, but went unnoticed from Rika, who was staring at the figure of the man next to the god of thunder.

He was tall, short compared only to Thor, and had a fairly thin frame. His skin was pale which contrasted with his shoulder-length dark-as-night hair, and his emerald green eyes held a mischievous glint in them. The man stood with an air of defiance and regality, but gave Rika a small smile that had only ever been received from him by her, and made the young goddess's heart want to burst.

"Loki," Rika spoke softly, both shocked and overjoyed at the sight of her best friend and brother. He nodded and she spoke one more time. "This isn't one of your tricks, you would never do that to me." And she flung herself at him with tears in her eyes, enveloping him in an enormous hug.

Thor pulled her back. "This is not the time for joyous reunions. Loki, stop this madness here on Midgard and come home."

Loki scowled, venom dripping with every word he spoke. "What, with my _mother _and _father_? They are no more parents to me than a dog is to a cat. They lied to me!"

"Brother-"

"I am not your brother!" Loki looked him directly in the eye, "I never was; I am of monsters and now will be royalty, ruler of the mortals. I will be their king and will finally make this place what it is truly destined to be!" Rika watched silently, unable to comprehend the hurt that she was feeling. Her brother was wrong for doing this, was he not? But why did she not seem to feel so guilty about his schemes?

Thor growled and shoved Loki, making Rika jump to attention, "Now listen well brother-". As fast as it appeared, a giant metal thing shaped as a person crashed into Thor and sent him crashing into a clearing in the forest below.

Loki and Rika stood for a moment, stunned as they could no longer see Thor. "I'm listening." Rika did not reply as she sat on the ground, unable to bring herself to look at her brother. Noticing her mood change, he looked at her, "Are you alright?" She ignored him and looked up at the sky, pretending to care about the stars that inhabited the sky in this realm. "I know you're ignoring me, might I ask why?"

He always knew her so well. She looked away sadly, "Why did you not tell me you were alive? You left me to grieve all alone."

"You were not alone, you had Thor. And your mother and father."

"They are your parents too, you know."

He gave her a hard look. "They are not my parents," he sighed and looked away in thought, "As for not telling you of my surviving, I had other matters to take care of."

She gave him a hurt look and stood up to face him, her face red from the tears now streaming down her face and the flush of her cheeks from anger. "More important than telling me if you were okay, that you were alive?" When Loki did not answer she shook her head in disbelief and turned away, looking out into the depths of the forest below to see if she could spot Thor.

She stood there for several moments before she felt a cool presence behind her, but opted to ignore him. Rika's mind was still clouded with hurt and anger and was no longer in the mood for speaking in a civil manner. She clenched and unclenched her fists.

_Boom!_

The ground shook as lightening shot up from the middle of the forest. Sounds of crunching and bashing could be heard as trees toppled in what Rika assumed was a heated battle. Though not knowing what was happening, Rika could assume that both people were still going at it as the sounds ceased to stop. Oh how she wished she knew what was going on, but in her state right now she thought is best that she not be there anyway. Odin knew that when she was angry everyone suffered.

As Rika continued to watch in hopes of catching a glimpse of something, she saw someone rush into the thick woods. Though a blur, she could tell that he was a mortal, though running much faster than any normal mortal being. As he rushed through the trees he yelled something, and moments later Rika heard the sound of Thor's hammer hitting a metal object, though the force was strong enough to bend many of the trees and almost know Rika off her feet.

She looked up surprised. "What was that?" And Loki shrugged from beside her.

As the battle had clearly ended once and for all, a plane dropped out of the sky and the three people who had joined in battle appeared to be worn. Loki looked at the airplane and scowled before brushing past Rika as a man in a red, white, and blue striped suit escorted him back onto the plane. Rika gently touched the spot on her shoulder that Loki had bumped as he walked past; it was ice cold.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am so sorry that I haven't updated for a while, but I just got back from vacation and I've had tons of homework. I really appreciate everyone who reads this story and every time I see that someone has followed, favorite, or reviewed this story I get so happy! I would like to give a special thanks to crazy1person2you3been4warned for reviewing; I am so happy that you really want another update! Thanks to everyone, because you are the people who keep me going.**

Chapter 4

Tony was doing it again. It was becoming quite a bad habit, really, but he couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful blonde who had taken her seat besides Loki. Their prisoner. Was there something wrong with this girl that she did not realize that she had taken up residence next to a cold-blooded murder? Perhaps she didn't realize.

The genius's mind wandered. Who was she? She looked an awful lot like the guy with the hammer – what was his name again? Tar? Toro? Thor? – but was she related to him? Hmm, Tony was overthinking this. In fact, he shouldn't have been thinking about the girl at all. After all, he and Pepper had only just broken up about a month ago. She had said he had worked too much, which had made Tony frown both then and now.

So was it bad that he was already thinking about this girl that he didn't know? She was gorgeous, with golden blonde hair cascading in waves down her curious face. Just by looking at her one could tell that she was important, for the way that she held herself was enough to make even the Queen of England bow, and the emerald green dress that fit every part of her shapely body just perfectly looked as if it were made for royalty.

"Earth to Stark," Tony snapped out of his daydream as an annoyed Natasha waved her hand in front of his face impatiently, "we've landed. Now get out."

Tony shot the angry red-head a glare and trudged off the Quinn-Jet, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious blonde as she disappeared with the god of thunder. No such luck. He silently cursed himself and followed another agent inside the doors of the helicarrier, a giant aircraft carrier which made him feel a little nauseous. But then again, maybe it was just the thought of seeing Nick Fury again.

He and Fury did not get along. Tony was all about fun, and the Director of SHEILD was always, well, furious. He couldn't stand Tony, and Tony likewise with him. In fact, Tony was downright dreading the confrontation, so he decided to wonder around. No use hanging around outside when there was probably hundreds of classified labs with tons of technology to mess around with, right?

The genius whistled as he walked down the large, metal hallways and ignored any of the agents that tried to talk to him. Taking his cellphone out, he hacked the codes of various rooms and peeked inside, making mental notes for later on which ones he might like to revisit. He was about to check another room when he saw a horde of agents walk past him, surrounding none other than the God of Mischief, himself. Tony glared at him, but Loki only gave him an evil grin, chilling him to the bone.

Snapping out of his shock only when the group had turned the corner, the billionaire decided with a quick decision to follow them. Picking up his pace, Tony jogged until he reached an open door where he heard a conversation going on. Ahead of him, Agent Coulson was just entering the room. Tony followed behind.

"Iridium, what do they need the Iridium for?" Bruce Banner, a former scientist who Tony was intrigued by, asked. Banner wasn't tall, but he wasn't short either. He had dark hair, small glasses, and appeared to be somewhat nervous. And he wasn't the only one in the room; Captain America, Thor, and the mysterious blonde girl were also there. Tony mentally gave himself a high-five and smirked, enjoying outsmarting an entire room.

"It's a stabilizing agent," Tony made his presence known with his usual bravado, priding himself when the mystery girl turned to look at him in curiosity, "I'll fly you there. Keep the love alive. Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHEILD." Tony turned to Thor and patted him on the shoulder, earning him an annoyed glare, "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing."

The mystery girl chuckled, and Tony smirked. "Glad someone enjoys my sense of humor. And who might you be?"

"Do not touch my sister." Tony cringed, wondering of Thor had an indoor voice or if he talked like a microphone all the time.

The girl rolled her eyes and stepped away from her brother. "Brother, please, I am old enough to take care of myself," she turned to Tony, "I am Rika Odindottir, Goddess of Power."

Tony gave her one of his famous smiles that made women swoon, "Well I must say, I am more pleased to be working with you than anyone else here." She gave him a smile, which was countered by the glare that Thor was sending his direction.

"Stark, shut up and get over here!" Tony rolled his eyes as he turned to face Director Fury, "I did not want you here to mess around. The fate of this planet depends on you and Dr. Banner to find a solution to this problem, so you better get to work. I'd like to know how Loki used the cube to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys? I do not understand." Thor was a mask of confusion.

The Captain smiled proudly, "I do! I understand." He leaned back in his chair unhelpfully. Tony just looked at him dumbly and ignored the comment. It was moments like this that made Tony question whether Fury was smart to add certain people to the Avengers Initiative or whether it should have just been him.

"Stark!" Fury yelled in annoyance, "Are you listening?"

"Not really," Tony turned and walked out of the room, bored with the conversation but stopped mid-step when he realized he didn't know were his room was. He growled in annoyance and tapped one of the agents on the back, "Hey, you. Where's my room?"

"Down the hall. Take two lefts, a right, and your room should be the third on the left."

Tony nodded his thanks and followed the agent's orders until he arrived at the said location, in which Tony was not impressed. Yes it was clean, but there was nothing for him to do. The walls, floors, and ceilings were all grey and the bed comforter was a dark blue; and aside from the bed and the night stand next to it, there was nothing else in the space. Typical SHEILD.

With annoyance and a bit of boredom, Tony took out his cellphone and leaned back on his bed. "JARVIS."

"Yes, sir?" A voice spoke from within the phone. Tony's AI.

"Let's see if we can't do a little research into Norse mythology."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, I'm back with another chapter! I would like to say thank you to everyone who has followed and/or favorited my story because it really shows that you guys like it, which I could not be more thankful for. So it's for all of my readers out there that I write this next chapter to. I would love to hear feedback on my portrayal of the characters and how you like Rika so far. And I would like to give a special thanks to funnygirl00 for reviewing!**

Chapter 5

_A young Rika cowered in her bed, hiding her trembling body under the soft sheets and hefty comforter that made her feel smaller than she was. Her room was dark except for the occasional flashes from the weather outside that briefly lit up her room, making her jump and whimper once more. Boom! Another bout of thunder sounded and Rika let out a cry._

_Rika hated herself for fearing such petty things as thunder and mentioned it to no one but her brother, who would softly console her until she fell asleep. Her father, of course, thought she had outgrown her meaningless fear years ago, yet her mother seemed as if she knew the truth. Rika hoped she did not. She didn't want to be thought of as weak._

_Crack! The young girl seemed to jump three feet in the air as the thunder struck once more and she began to cry, feeling helpless and pitying herself. Why couldn't she be like her brothers who feared nothing? Surely Thor would think her foolish for sobbing over something so simple as a storm._

_Slowly she crept out of bed, clutching her arms tightly to her chest as she tried to ease her shaking body. She silently made her way out of her room and crept through the vast halls of the castle until she came across the room that she had been looking for. Timidly she entered, closing the door behind her as to not make much noise, and walked up to the sleeping person on the bed._

_He was snoring but only a little and his midnight-black hair was splayed across the pillow, sleeping as if nothing were going on outside. Rika envied him. His green covers were clutched to his chest and he seemed so comfortable that Rika felt guilty for needing to wake him._

"_Loki?" She spoke in a small voice, to which he did not respond. Gently she shook him, "Loki?"_

"_Wha-" He woke suddenly and looked around the room, his eyes adjusting to the light. Rika suddenly felt bad._

"_Loki can I stay with you?" She asked nervously; the thunder hit again, causing her to flinch and more tears to pour out of her eyes._

_Loki looked at Rika for a moment before his emerald green eyes softened, and gave her a small but tired smile. "Of course you can." Rika wiped her tears as her brother helped the small girl up onto his bed and pulled the covers over the two of them, Rika snuggling up close to him. She laid her head upon his chest and listened to his breathing, occasionally hearing him whisper a soft "shhh" and hug her when the thunder would sound._

_Rika relished these moments with her brother because she knew that with him she was safe. She knew that he would never let anything harm her and that he would go through anything to protect her; that was what she loved most about him._

_As the young princess snuggled within the warm bed she couldn't help but smile, even if she would still cry every time the thunder hit. She loved her brother and he loved her. Eventually, she finally dozed off, her head still on her brother's chest._

Rika awoke with a start, as if someone had come through her bed chambers with a drum and telling her a great war was arising. Of course that was not the case, for she knew that it had been her sudden memory that had awoken her out of her deep slumber. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, only to make herself dizzy and need to rub her eyes, in which she discovered she was crying. Or had been crying, she wasn't sure. The memory had caused her a great pain, a longing for her brother that she could not fulfill and that was terrible.

She missed her brother. Not just talking to him and seeing him, but longing for the time they spent together as kids. Rika and Loki were incredibly close. While Thor always obtained great glory for his triumphs, Loki never had such feats of strength. In fact, Loki spent a great deal of time in the library rather than out doing activities such as Thor and got made fun of quite often when around others his age. Everywhere he went Loki felt small; he was not as brawny as most boys his age and could do very little with a weapon, yet was incredibly smart and very good with magic. Of course his their father saw no talent in that.

It seemed that all of Loki's life he was thought of as insignificant, an outsider among those in which he lived. So to have a younger sibling who favored him over his glorious older brother, he was thrilled. The God of Mischief had a soft spot for his sister, who spend several of her free hours with him in the library. Often he would read her stories of great adventures, and as she got older he began teaching her some of his tricks. They grew up together and told each other everything, at least that's what Rika thought.

The fact that Loki had not told her that he was alive still wounded her, they were family after all, but that was not her biggest concern. Her brother was not evil, so why was he killing so many people? There must have been an explanation, but no one on Midgard would believe her. She was afraid that even Thor had given up hope on their brother. Rika frowned, she wouldn't give up hope; she knew Loki.

As she lay in her bed, various thoughts went through her mind and made her wonder why things had happened the way they were. Father had lied to them all; Loki was not really an Asgardian, he was a Frost Giant from Jotunheim who had been taken by their father when he had defeated their realm. Loki was not really her brother. He was a Frost Giant.

Rika refused to believe what Loki and Thor seemed to be so willing to believe. Loki was still her brother and nothing was going to change that. Not his real parents, nor his powers and the blood that flowed through his veins. Not even the numbers of people he had killed. He was still her brother, the brother that held her every time a thunderstorm broke out; the brother that stayed with her when she got hurt and couldn't help but cry. No amount of time or age they had grown would stop that or separate the bond that they shared.

The young Asgardian woman laid on her bed and thought. If only she could talk to him, to tell him everything that she had been thinking since she had seen him. Would he be happy? Would he yell at her for pitying him? Rika sighed. The likelihood of the people here letting her speak to her brother were slim, and even if they did she wouldn't be allowed to say what she was thinking of right now.

She growled in frustration and stood up, needing some fresh air before she began a long day. It was then that she decided that she would speak to Loki. No matter what it took.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I would like to give a special thanks to funnygirl00 for writing the fantastic review and sending some of her wonderful followers over here! I could not ask for a better first experience on . I hope I can continue to get wonderful reviews from all of my followers because it makes me the happiest person in the world. Thank you all so much!**

Chapter 6

Tony was doing what he normally did when he got bored; he fooled around with various gadgets. Unfortunately, nothing really interested him at the moment. Fury had, in fact, restricted all of the cool stuff and left Tony with nothing of use. He let out a sigh of contempt, causing Doctor Banner to look in his direction to see if he was okay.

He was not. Tony was extremely annoyed with the lack of toys. Toys that shot things, flew, or even played a little AC/DC. SHEILD had zilch. For what felt like the billionth time, Tony let out another sigh and left the room. He needed to do a little exploring.

The helicarrier was a maze. Hallways twisted and turned in every which way and branched off into smaller corridors, each and every one looking exactly the same as the previous. Doors lined the sides of each hall, some open and some locked, with agents going in and out of them. What Tony assumed was the God of Mischief's prison cell was up ahead.

The door was slightly wider than the other rooms that were in the previous hall. This hallway was completely empty aside from the large black door in front of Tony. The locks on the door appeared to be more complicated as well, and a keypad requested both a password and an ID. Nothing Tony couldn't hack into, but why would he want to pay a visit to the maniacal reindeer anyway?

"Hello?" A woman's voice spoke from behind Tony, startling him. He turned around and to his surprise – and delight – he found Rika looking at him curiously. She looked the same as she had earlier, but Tony had done a little research on her earlier and she was careful not to be fooled by her innocent demeanor.

Apparently the Norse gods were the gods of the Vikings, partaking in various battles throughout their reign. The woman before him was no objection; being Thor's younger sister, he taught her at a young age to fight with various weapons and prove to the kingdom that women could be a warrior as well. Along with her friend, Sif, the two woman had single-handedly proven to the Allfather that they were worthy members of the Asgardian army. Thereon out, Rika Odindottir was known throughout the kingdom who fought with a sword but no shield.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" The goddess asked, to which Tony had no reply. She stared at him for a moment.

Instead he said, "Tony."

"What?" She looked at him in confusion.

"Tony," He replied smoothly, no longer caught off guard. "Please call me Tony." She nodded as he leaned forward. "What are _you_ doing here?" It seemed as if he had made the girl nervous, for she had averted eye contact for a moment. Tony leant in closer to her and she stepped back, frowning.

"Mr. Stark-"

"Tony."

"Tony. It's none of your business of what I have come to do." The beautiful woman no longer looked nervous, but peeved.

Tony frowned angrily, suddenly realizing what she had come for. "You came her to see Loki!" What were the hot ones always the traitors?

The woman grew visibly angry. "What is it against you if I came to visit with my brother? I have only just met you and yet you judge me?"

The billionaire scoffed, putting his hands into the pockets of his slacks, "So you expect me to just let you walk into the room of a mass murderer and not believe that you might slip and tell him something?"

The blonde rolled her eyes on frustration. "Common sense is something I have attained through years of hard work. I believe I will be able to refrain from giving our position away." She walked past Tony in one swift movement, her shoes clicking on the hard floor. Rika looked at the door in confusion and Tony let out a triumphant laugh.

"I don't think you'll be able to get in there, sweetheart. You need a password and ID." He chuckled at her annoyance, pursing his lips.

The woman grumbled, folding her arms over her chest. She let out a huff and walked past Tony. "Good day, Mr. Stark." She obviously did not mean _good day_, as she continued to glower at him from afar.

Tony watched the woman turn the corner and yelled, "It's Tony!" behind her. He snorted in contempt as her figure disappeared. However pretty she was, he did not want to flirt with someone who was still determined that her brother was innocent. He was a freaking murder, dear God!

Deciding to go back to the dull lab and see what Banner was up to, Tony retreated down the hallway. He was really not in the mood for people at the moment so he glared at anyone who tried to speak to him. The billionaire really needed to work on his anger management, but like always he didn't give a shit.

Of course, when he returned Bruce was still in the lab working on whatever it was SHEILD had wanted them to do. It seemed as if they weren't making much headway, and the doctor looked up from his work when Tony walked in. "Fury said he wanted the team to meet in the office room."

Tony gave an exasperated groan. "What now?"

Banner shrugged. "He said he was going to talk to Loki and wanted the rest of the Avengers to listen in." Great, they got to hear a conversation with Asgard's nut job.

"Do we have to?"

Bruce nodded, removing his glasses. "I don't think you should argue." The genius rolled his eyes but followed the good doctor to the meeting hall.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks you everyone who was waiting for my next update, and everyone who followed/favorited my story and/or me! I would also like to thank the amazing people who reviewed: funnygirl00, Lola, and Animefreak1145. Thanks again to funnygirl00, who has now reviewed several of my chapters and made a shout out about my story in her fantastic Sherlock fic, I Won't Send Roses, in which I am an avid reader and dedicated follower to the story. Also, if there is anyone out there who is artsy, I am looking for someone to design a cover for this story. I currently have one up right now, but I do not love it and I would love for someone to redo it. I have some ideas and would love for someone to PM me about it so we can talk. Thank you!:)**

Chapter 7

Rika had decided not to go to the meeting, still moody from her earlier encounter from the arrogant Man of Iron. The man had no right to call her a traitor for wanting to talk to her brother, much less without even knowing her. Had he intended to cause a row all along? Rika didn't like to judge on so little knowledge, but the man certainly did seem the type.

The Asgardian princess was, for the first time in her life, completely lost. She had to figure out some way to speak to her troubled brother, if not for information but for comfort on her own behalf. The girl could not remember the last time they had spoken without a quarrel, but back before the trouble with Thor Rika seemed to be all Loki had. She knew know that he needed her more than she needed him, though no mention of it would ever be spoken by his silver tongue.

As the girl walked the halls she looked for sings of help, agents that would be willing to let her see Loki. Of course not any agent would let her see him, if customs on Midgard were anything like home, only the highest officials would have access to the prison. So how was she to get in?

She stopped in her tracks, the answer hitting her like a two ton sack of bricks: The Man of Iron. Was Tony Stark not constantly bragging of his skills with technology? If so, he could likely help her get into the room.

A burst of rage flowed through her as she thought about the man and hated herself for not being able to think of any other strategy, but she quelled the anger within and sighed in defeat. She would have to prove herself. The presumptuous man would no doubt believe she was a traitor, so she would have to befriend him and keep her ulterior motives to herself.

Rika swallowed her guilt. No she wasn't playing him, nor was she tricking him; she just needed his help so that she could talk to her brother. Then she could finally relax, if only a small amount. Of course she would have to figure out how to befriend him; being good with words was never her job, and as kids Loki's suave demeanor helped the two of them manipulate others. No, Rika was more of the action type, though free to speak anything around her brother. She didn't like toying with others as much as she liked destruction, fighting in wars and shedding blood for her people. Perhaps it was she who fueled Loki's fire as a young child, though her love for warfare ever pleasing her father whilst Loki received only punishment. The memories pained her and plagued her with sorrows of her brother's ever-present feeling of loneliness.

The shook her head, ridding herself of the memories. She had to find Tony, though the idea made her insides want to freeze. What would she say to him? Rika began to walk down the hall; surely the meeting was over. But this put another obstacle in her path. Where was he? She knew little of the man though picked up that he liked to spend his time working on different projects, so she prayed that he would be in the lab.

Of course Rika failed to realize that she had no idea where the lab was, nor which of the many SHEILD labs he may be in. Growling in frustration, she walked down several hallways whilst peeking into each room, every time coming up short. She sighed in hopelessness. Perhaps if she could find one of her other teammates then they would know where the dark-haired man was.

No sooner had she thought this when a man rounded the corner, his bright blue eyes filled with determination and his red, white, and blues outfit making him an icon as he walked past. Rika stopped in front of him. "Captain?"

The blonde man smiled and held out a hand for her to shake. "Please call me Steve, Miss."

"Rika." She shook his hand, "Have you happened to have seen Mr. Stark?"

The man's friendly smile dropped from his face, only to be replaced with a scowl that did not suit him. "He and Doctor Banner went to examine that stick that Loki had. They were in one of the rooms over there." Steve pointed to one of the hallways on his right, shaking his head; he didn't like Tony either.

"Thank you Captain – er, Steve." Rika stuttered, scowling inwardly at her childish habit. Oh how she wished she had her brother's way with words. Of course she was happy she did not speak like her eldest brother, for Thor was much like the Warriors Three in his volume and absurdity.

The captain merely smiled at the girl, "It was my pleasure, Rika," and continued down the hall to wherever had was previously headed.

Following the captain's directions, Rika walked briskly down the hall and turned into another. There she could hear voices up ahead, one that was distinctly the Man of Iron's. He was most likely speaking to Doctor Banner, who had a much softer voice and had a slight tremble as he spoke. Rika could not blame him, as she knew that he had some sort of disease. In fact, she rather admired the doctor. Though he appeared to stutter, the way in which he seemed to disregard what others thought of him made the Asgardian warrior wish she was more like him. Not only would she be able to live her life the way she wanted, but she would not have to constantly worry whether her father approved of something or not.

The girl stood at the door for several minutes, wondering whether she should go in or not. Was her plan foolish? No no, she had to see Loki. But wasn't manipulating someone wrong? She wasn't manipulating him, just getting help from him. Besides, he was the one who called her a traitor. Then why did she want to befriend him?

Rika had to think for a moment. Was it to prove him wrong? Perhaps. All her life she had enjoyed proving people wrong; were her and Sif not the only two women warriors? The girl smiled. Yes, she wanted to prove him wrong.

So with a large gulp of air and a clenched jaw, Rika walked into the room.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am so happy with this story so far and I hope you guys enjoy my next installment! Thank you to all of my supporters and reviewers; I love you guys and I want you to know that you are the reason I keep going. Thanks to ZabuzasGirl and funnygirl00 for reviewing; I would also like to give a shoutout to funnygirl00. She has an amazing Sherlock story called I Won't Send Roses that follows all three seasons of Sherlock with her main character, Tammy. I would also like to say that I am still looking for people to help me create a new cover picture for the story if you are interested and I will give you full credit for the design. Thanks!:)**

Chapter 8

Tony looked up in surprise when he realized that the meat-head's beautiful sister was standing in the room with him and Bruce. Perhaps if he weren't fuelled by anger that had been caused by their earlier argument then he would have welcomed her, going as far as to turn his charms on her. But that was not the case. In fact, he had been so overcome by his treacherous temper that it had took him quite a long time before he had noticed that she was standing before him: Tony glared at her whilst Bruce tried to make conversation.

"Um, Rika, correct?" Bruce asked awkwardly, to which the girl nodded in confirmation. Tony rolled his eyes. She was playing the quiet girl card again, trying to act innocent. Would Bruce ever come to terms like Tony and realize that she was just like her villainous brother? Though far more attractive.

Rika crossed her arms, looking equally as nervous as Bruce. "I have come to apologize to Mr. Stark," her eyes went to the ground as Tony's immediately looked up in interest, "for yelling earlier. I understand why you were mad, but I assure you that I would have done no harm in speaking to my brother had I gotten the chance."

Bruce gave Tony a quizzical look as if trying to understand what was going on, but the billionaire ignored it, too focused on the girl's bullshit. "Please," Tony growled angrily, "why the hell would I believe you? How could you expect me to think you were on our side when you wanted to talk with that monster?"

"That _monster _is my brother!" Rika fought back, looking as if she wanted to strangle the man. "Do you not think that if I wanted to help him then I would have done it by now?"

"You couldn't get into that room even if you tried!" Tony laughed at her stupidity, causing the other's eyes to flash.

"There are many ways to get into that room, Mr. Stark." Rika growled.

"It's Tony!" He yelled.

"Both of you, be quiet!" Bruce spoke loudly, trying to control his temper. Tony stopped but didn't take his eyes off the Asgardian princess. "Now Tony, really think. Do you honestly believe she's working with her brother?"

Tony scowled. "She was outside his room earlier trying to get in and talk to him. How could I not think she was working with him?"

"He's her brother!" Tony gave him a _so what?_ look and Bruce rubbed his temples. "She just wanted to talk to him. He's her family no matter what the consequence."

"How do you know?" Tony asked frustrated and still glaring at Rika, who had gotten quiet several moments ago.

"How do _you _know she's trying to help Loki?" Bruce countered. Tony shut up, for he had no response but continued to pout.

"I'm sorry about the trouble," Rika said quietly, smiling at Bruce before rushing out the door. Tony looked up in time to see the girl's lean frame turn the corner and her long, blonde hair flap in the air as she rushed out. Tony looked away, only to be met with a glaring Bruce.

"What?" Tony asked, innocently.

"You know what." Bruce said, "You need to apologize."

"Me?" Tony asked incredulously, "Are you seriously buying her _I'm Innocent _act?"

"What act, Tony?" Bruce's hands flew up in annoyance, surprising the genius but not enough to cause a reaction. "I think _you _don't see it! You're so wrapped up in your self-pity from your breakup with Pepper that you don't see the truth!" Tony flinched. That hurt. Bruce calmed down after a moment of silence and looked at his coworker, "I'm sorry, really. But I think you should still apologize."

Apologize? Him? Tony didn't think the doctor was actually serious until he looked him in the eyes, seeing only sincerity and determination. But how would Tony apologize? He was never good with that sort of thing, especially when he didn't really think he should be apologizing. How was he to know the girl wasn't going to go crying to her brother the minute she got to speak with him? Tony frowned to himself.

But what if Bruce was right? What if he had wrongly accused her of being a traitor and now he was being too stuck up to realize it? His mind wandered back to Bruce's previous words, _You're so wrapped up in your self-pity from your breakup with Pepper that you don't see the truth! _ Was the doctor right? Sure the breakup had wounded him, but Tony thought that he could handle it. If he hardened himself he could get over it. But was this just like what happened with Pepper? Was he being too narcissistic to see the truth?

The billionaire clenched his jaw in frustration. He, Tony Stark - genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist – might just be wrong for once. Though it pained him to admit it. It pained him very much.

Trying to ignore the good doctor's patronizing stare, Tony left the room in hopes of finding the blonde girl. Was he going to apologize? He didn't know. He just wanted to speak with her. About what? He didn't now. He just wanted to talk to her, maybe get things cleared up. But wait – where did she go?

Dammit.

Tony was going to have to search for her. The logical part of him said to wait until Fury called another meeting or happened upon her in the hallway, but the softer – and stupider – side of him told him to look for her. Unfortunately for Tony, he decided to act stupid for once in his life and look for Rika.


End file.
